Next: Chargers vs Detroit Lions

It appears the Chargers aren’t the only team with a little December magic.

Down 13 points with less than eight minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Detroit produced its latest comeback win of the season against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.

With that, Detroit is in position to clinch a playoff spot Saturday.

The NFL’s most dismal franchise the last decade, a team that won just 42 games (and lost 118) over a 10-year span, is on the verge of its first postseason appearance since 1999. A win Saturday gets the Lions in as an NFC wild card.

Head coach Jim Schwartz’s third season has finally seen the Lions in contention. They’re already assured them of their first winning season since 2000.

The Lions offense is ranked ninth in the league in total yards and fourth in points scored. Pretty good for a team that hasn’t topped 14th in either category since ‘97.

And although much of the Lions’ story this season has revolved around “dirty play” and a head coach cat fight, Detroit has shown an incredible amount of resilience. In three of their wins this season, the Lions trailed by at least 17 points.

Three players to watch

Matthew Stafford, QB: The league’s first overall pick in 2009 is quietly having the best season of his young, injury-marred career. He’s started all 14 games for Detroit and is one of six quarterbacks in the league to have more than 4,000 yards passing. His 93.8 quarterback rating ranks seventh, and his 33 touchdown passes trail only Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Tom Brady.

Calvin Johnson, WR: There’s not a scarier wide receiver in the league than Detroit’s 6-foot-5, acrobatic touchdown-catching "Megatron." Johnson’s 14 scores this season are four more than any other wideout, and after his monstrous 214-yard effort against Oakland, he now trails the Patriots’ Wes Welker by 45 yards for the league lead. Moreover, if the title “big-play threat” truly has any meaning in the NFL, Johnson certainly fits the description. His eight catches of 40 yards or more are tops in the league and his 22 catches of 20 yards or more are second only to the Panthers’ Steve Smith.

Ndamukong Suh, DT: The Lions' controversial defensive lineman returned against Oakland after serving a two-game suspension for stomping on the right arm of Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith on Thanksgiving. Suh had just one tackle against the Raiders but did get a hand on Sebastian Janikowski’s 65-yard field goal attempt to secure the Lions’ victory. But even after missing two games and having nowhere near the rookie season he had in 2010, Suh is still one of the league’s most formidable defenders.

Series history

The Chargers lead 6-3. In the most recent matchup, in 2007, the Chargers put a 51-14 beating on the Lions at Qualcomm Stadium. Darren Sproles and LaDainian Tomlinson combined for 238 rushing yards on 40 attempts and scored two touchdowns apiece. Johnson caught five passes for 102 yards for Detroit.

Injury report

Safety Louis Delmas has missed three straight games with a knee injury but there's a chance he could return this week. His backup, Chris Harris, left the Raiders game with a concussion. Cornerback Aaron Berry (shoulder) and defensive lineman Lawrence Jackson (thigh) missed the Raiders game but both practiced Monday. Cornerback Don Carey, long snapper Don Muhlbach, defensive tackle Corey Williams and defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch all sat out practice Monday.

Did you know?

The Lions are the first team in NFL history to record four comeback victories in one season after being down at least 13 points.

the Chargers’ defensive line from 1985-90. Wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson was a wide receiver for San Diego from 1991-95. Lions senior personnel executive James “Shack” Harris played quarterback for the Chargers from 1977-81.

Quote

“It's a dream scenario, Christmas Eve, we've got a home game … You couldn't write a better story.” Lions’ defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch on the possibility of capturing the team’s first postseason berth since ’99 in Detroit.